Under new guidelines that went into effect Tuesday, each cigarette sold in Canada must include an individual health warning that cigarettes cause impotence and cancer and that there is ‘poison in every puff’.
The new laws, which were introduced in May, are a first in the globe.
The new personalized labels for king-size cigarettes are expected to be available in retailers within a year, followed by regular-size cigarettes in early 2025.
“The warning notices will be virtually unavoidable and, together with updated graphic images displayed on the package, will provide a real and startling reminder of the health consequences of smoking”, said Carolyn Bennett, Canada’s former addictions minister.
According to the Canadian government, some young individuals, who are especially vulnerable to the risk of tobacco dependence, begin smoking after being handed a single cigarette rather than a pack branded with health warnings.
To raise awareness of the health risks linked with tobacco smoking, Canada became the first country to impose graphic warnings on packs of cigarettes in 2000, including horrific depictions of damaged hearts and lungs.
Over the last two decades, smoking has been declining.
However, according to government data, cigarette smoking continues to kill 48,000 Canadians each year, and substance use accounts for about half of the country’s healthcare costs.
Ottawa plans to reduce the number of smokers in the country to five percent of the population, or approximately 2 million people, by 2035, down from roughly 13 percent now.
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